...Fumiya Nishiguchideveloped a fever on Monday and did not attend practice at Seibu Dome. He instead went to a hospital for treatment. Nishiguchi is currently scheduled to pitch on the 29th against the Chiba Lotte Marines. Depending on how he's feeling, his start may be pushed back a bit.

...18-11-0 (2nd place): The Lions went 4-2 this past week. Hisashi Takayama basically came out of no where to help his team with a 11-for-22 (.500) week that also included 4 RBI and 4 R.

Takeya Nakamura appears to be slowly coming out of his slump. He went 6-for-22 (.272) with 1 HR, 4 RBI, and 6 R. Incidentally, the team is 6-0 when Nakamura hits a home run this year. The offense should get a little boost with Hiroyuki Nakajima's likely return on Tuesday.

Upcoming schedule: the Lions begin a 9-game stretch on Tuesday. They will be play three against Lotte (at Seibu Dome), three against Nippon Ham (at Sapporo Dome), and three against Rakuten (at Seibu Dome).